Blast furnace support



May 20, 1952 F. E. KLING 2,597,501

BLAST FURNACE SUPPORT Filed July 8, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

FRED E. KLING H/S A 7' TORNEY5.

May 20, 1952 F. E. KLING BLAST FURNACE SUPPORT Filed July 8, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FRED E. KLIN G BY WWfQ H/S A TTORNE Y5.

May 20, 1952 F. E. KLlNG BLAST FURNACE SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 iled July 8, 1947 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR.

FRED E. KLING HIS A T TORNEYS.

Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED STATES NT OFFICE BLAST FURNACE surron'r- Fred E. Kling, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to H. A. Brassert & Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Illinois 3 Claims.

This invention relates to blast furnace structures, and it relates particularly to the supporting structure for the stacks or shafts of blast furnaces.

The stack or shaft of a conventional blast furnace is usually supported by an exterior structure that relieves the hearth and the bosh of the blast furnace of the weight of the stack. This exterior supporting structure usually consists of a mantle formed of a series of steel plates joined to form a ring and reinforced with steel angles. The steel shell and a part of the firebrick lining of the shaft are supported by the mantle. The mantle is supported by means of a series of steel columns, arranged around the outside of the bosh and the hearth. The columns are mounted on a ring formed of a series of plates having reinforced ribs thereon. The ring is usually mounted on a concrete foundation extending around the hearth or the bottom of the blast furnace. Supporting structures of the type described above are entirely adequate to support rected shock without requiring a greater weight of material than has been used heretofore.

More particularly, blast furnace supporting structures of the type embodying the present invention are characterized by the provision of a ring-like supporting base of hollow box-like structure to which are united, as by means of the weight of the stack or shaft to resist some horizontally directed stresses, such as, those produced by the wind. These prior supporting structures have been found to be inadequate to support the blast furnace when subjected to violent horizontally directed shocks or stresses such as occur in countries subject to earthquakes and other seismic disturbances.

An object of the present invention is to provide blast furnace supports which are capable of withstanding violent horizontally directed shocks or stresses and thereby makes possible the use of blast furnaces in countries which are subject to earthquakes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of exterior supporting structure for blast furnaces which makes better and more economical use of the material in the supporting structure and provides a more sturdy and less expensive type of supporting structure.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a typical form of blast furnace support embodying the invention described hereinafter.

In accordance with the present invention, I have provided a blast furnace supporting structure which is essentially monolithic in construction and makes use of supporting elements of box-like or rectangular section to provide increased strength and resistance to breakage or displacement by vertically or horizontally diing a conventional'blast furnace I0.

welding, a plurality of supporting columns of box girder construction, which in turn are joined or united with a mantle of ring form and generally box or rectangular cross-section, which acts to support the shaft or stack of the furnace. The various components making up the supporting structure are constructed and arranged so that they may be assembled readily and efilciently at the site of the blast furnace, and when assembled, provide a. rugged and strong support of substantially unitary construction which provides the greatest possible section moduli against bending, twisting and buckling forces.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a typical blast furnace supported by a supporting structure of the type embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section through a portion of the blast furnace and the supporting structure therefor;

Figure 3 is a View in side elevation of a portion of the supporting structure of Figure 1, illustrating the method of assembly of the various components of the supporting structure;

Figure 4 is a view in section taken on-line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3, showing the structure for erecting a column on the base ring.

The form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration is shown in Figure 1 for support- The blast furnace includes the usual hearth l l, the bosh l2 and the stack IS.

The stack I3 is provided with the usual steel shell and fire-brick lining.

The bosh I2 is formed ,of staggered rings of fire-brick which are reinforced in the usual way with steel bands and may be provided with .the usual cooling plates, not shown.

The hearth II is formed of fire-brick, or other refractory material and is provided with the usual steel shell [4. The hearth is also provided with the usual tuyre openings I5 and the tap opening Hi. The bottom of the hearth I I may be mounted in a pit I! which has a concrete bottom, not shown, to provide the necessary firm support for the hearth portion.

The supporting structure for the shaft l3 may, as shown in Figure 1, consist of a base ring member l8 and a mantle ring l3, which engages a shoulder (Fig. 2) at the base of the furnace shaft l3. The mantle ring I9 is supported on the base ring [8 by means of a plurality of columns 2 l.

The present invention resides in the structure and arrangement of the base ring I8, the. mantle l9 and the columns 2|, these elements being designed to give maximum strength and resistance to horizontal and vertical forces, therebyto're-r duce to a minimum damage to the structure through buckling, bending or twisting stresses,

As best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the base ring 18 is made up of a plurality of box-like sections 22 of similar shape and construction. In the form of the invention illustrated, eight of the sections22 are provided to form a generally octagonal base ringv It. It will be understood that more 101- fewer sections may be used to form the base ring and that, if desired, .the sections 22may be curved .to form a circular basering I8, instead of the octagonal ring, as shown in Figure 4. .Each of the sections 22 isof generally hollow structure and, substantially rectangular in cross-section and may. beprovided with one or more reinforcing partitions, as required. Each section 22 is'prouidedwith a base flange 23 which is adapted to restupon the surface of .a concretefoundation ring .24 of suitable thickness and dimensions. 'Ifhe'sections 2iv are secured to the concrete foundation .24 by means of a series oibolts 25 and 26 in the inner and outer edge of the flange. The bolts 25 and 26 extend between/outwardlyprojectingfianges 0r lugs. 27 and 28 which are engaged by nuts and washers .on the bolts 25 and 26, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. When the sections are so assembled, with their inclinedeends 29 and 30 in abutment, they are welded together to form a-continu'ous ring. The sections 22 of the rin may be retained in suitable abutting relationship by-means of the tie bolts 3i which engage .the flanges or lugs 32, 32 on adjacent ends of the sections 22, 22.

The columns 2| are also assembled on the base ring l8 and are joined thereto by welding to make them integral with the base ring. As shown in Figure 3, the columns 2| are of box-like cross s'ection and taper upwardly from their lower ends toward their upper ends. The lower ends are'adapted to fit against and be joined to upwardly directed flanges 33 at about the midportion of each of the sections 22. As shown in Figure 4, the columns 2| may be secured to the sections 22 temporarily by means of-a plurality of 'tie'straps 34 which are secured to the sections 22 and the columns 2| by means of a plurality of bolts 35. After the columns have beenassembled on the base ring l8 bymeans of the straps 34, they may be welded in place, and the tie straps Stand bolts 35 are then removed.

The mantle ring I9 is assembled on the tonal thecolumns 2| in a mannersimilar to the method ofassembly of the base ring and the columns. Thus, each section 35 of the mantle ring I9 is of generally T-shaped form and hollow box-like section and is provided with inclined ends fitting against the next adjacent sections to form an octagonal ring. The sections 36, 36, etc. may be joined-together temporarily by means of tie bolts 38 and may be. secured in their proper relation to the columns 2! by means of tie straps similar to the straps 34 disclosed in Figure 5. When so assembled, the sections 36, 36 of the mantle ring H! are welded together, and the ring is in turn welded to the upper ends of each of the columns. When the welding operation is completed, the tie bolts 35 and the retaining straps 34 may be removed, leaving the entire, supporting structure as a unitary monolithic structure having great strength because of its box-like structure. Each section 36 is provided with an outer upwardly projecting flange 39 engageable with the outer surface of the shaft [3 below the shell of the stack and a lower inwardly projecting supporting flange 40 extending beneath the shoulder at the junction of the shaft and the bosh. The flange 40 may be suitably reinforced by one or more webs.

The'supporting structure described above may be further reinforced and stabilized by filling the ring it and the columns 2| up to the floor line of the furnace with a ganister-clay mixture and fireclay brick-bats through the openings 4| in the columns 2|. After the mixture has hardened, the openings 4! may be sealed by welding disks in the openings.

Structures of the kind described above have much greater resistance to horizontal stresses than any of the supporting structures heretofore used, and such increased strength is obtainable with less material and is less costly than the prior structures for the reason that it makes better use of the material in the structureby placing it at the pernneters of rectangular sections. Structures of the typedisclosed herein are capable of withstanding severe seismic shocks and make possible the use of blast furnaces in.countries and areas wherein earthquakes are common.

It will be understood that the sizeand shape of the supporting structure can be modified sub stantially, depending upon the sizeof the. blast furnace with which it. is used, and, therefore, the form of the invention disclosed hereinshould be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A supporting structure for a blast furnace comprising a plurality of hollow box-like sections welded end-to-end into a base ring, means in said base ring. for anchoring it directly .toa foundation, a plurality of box-girder columns welded toabout the mid-portions of said sections and extending upwardly from said ring, a plurality of box-like sections welded at about their mid-portions to the upper ends of said columns and welded end-to-end to form a mantle ring.

2. A supporting structure for a blastfurnacc comprising a plurality of hollow box-like sections having inclined ends welded end-to-end into a base ring, means'in said base ring for anchoring it directly to a foundation, a'plurality of box-girder columns welded to about themidportions of said sections and extending upwardly from said ring, a plurality of box-like sections having inclined ends welded at about their midportions to the upper ends of said columns'and welded end-to-end to form a mantle ring.

3. A supporting structure fora blast furnace consisting of a plurality of elongated structural sections secured rigidly together end-to-endto form a base ring, means in said base ring for anchoring it directly to afoundation, a. plurality of elongated structural sections secured rigidly together end-to-end to form a mantle ring, and a plurality of columns secured rigidly at their ends to and extending between the approximate mid- FRED E. KLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 111,258 Horton Sept. 13, 1938 273,742 Kent Mar. 3, 1883 Number Name Date 366,282 Walsh July 12, 1887 670,212 Stein Mar. 19, 1901 1,001,167 Rohrbeck Aug. 22, 1911 1,703,518 Dovel Feb. 26, 1929 1,792,614 Stern Feb. 17, 1931 1,877,460 Hooker Sept. 13, 1932 OTHER REFERENCES Pages 116-118 (vol. pages 734-736) Engineering News Record of May 2, 1946. Article by R. M. Dowe entitled Fluted Central Column-New Feature in Tank Design. 

